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Hand (Earth-616)
| CurrentMembers = Gorgon, Fist | FormerMembers = Arthur Perry, Azuma Gōda, Chuck the Dwarf, Matsu'o Tsurayaba, Psylocke, Revanche, Northstar, Echo, Wolverine, Izanagi, Bakuto (Daimyo of South America, deceased), Azuma Gōda, Azumi Ozawa, Daredevil, Black Tarantula, Elektra, Tiberius Stone, Kingpin, Hobgoblin, Reflex, Jonin, Mystique, Sabretooth, Lady Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, Lord Deathstrike, Silver Samurai, White Tiger | Allies = Masters of Evil, Goblin Nation, The Nail, Daniel Drumm Formerly Hydra, Dawn of the White Light, H.A.M.M.E.R., A.I.M., Dark Avengers | Enemies = Thunderbolts, Psylocke, Hercules, Daredevil, Elektra, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Chaste, X-Men, New Avengers, Ghost Rider, Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man, Spiderlings, New Warriors, Avengers, S.P.E.A.R., Iron Man, Ascendants, Rogue, Alpha Flight, Church of the Sheltering Hands, Eights, True Believers | Origin = The Hand is a group of ninjas, with the traditional training in martial arts, camouflage, and subterfuge. In addition, they serve a demonic master known as the Beast, who has given them magical abilities. They are opposed by another band of warriors called the Chaste. | PlaceOfFormation = Japan | PlaceOfDefunction = | Creators = Frank Miller | First = Daredevil #174 | HistoryText = ... The story of the group known as the Hand is often believed to have began centuries ago, in feudal Japan. Seeking autonomy from the oppressive class system of the time, a few citizens fled into the mountainous regions of Iga and Kōga. There they developed ninjutsu, a stealthy martial art perhaps inspired by Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Over a period of centuries, they refined their art in secluded camps. Students trained and practiced the art from birth, playing children's games designed to impart expertise in unarmed combat, swordplay, weaponry, camouflage, escape and evasion. Ninjutsu was also designed to encourage spiritual growth by pushing oneself physically and mentally beyond normal human limits. The ninja were expert in espionage and assassination, and offered their specialized services to samurai warlords and others who could afford them. Kagenobu Yoshioka officially brought them together in 1588. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based in Japan, but operate internationally. They operated as a secret society of Japanese nationalist samurai but were soon co-opted by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan which serves a primordial demon known only as the Beast. Elektra originally belonged to the Chaste. As a self-imposed test, she joined the Hand. When they forced her to assassinate her former mentor, she abandoned the Hand and the Chaste and became a freelance assassin. In that capacity she encountered Daredevil, who once trained under the Chaste's leader, Stick, and helped both of them survive an attack by the Hand. In an offensive against the Chaste, the Hand lost its best warrior, Kirigi. A later battle brought forth the Chaste's ultimate weapon, a ritual that literally drained the life from the Hand's attackers. Unable to contain so much energy, however, Stick and Shaft also died. The Hand tried to prevent the reincarnation of Stick. The Chaste enlisted Daredevil once again, who traveled to Japan and helped to protect the infant who bore his sensei's spirit. The Hand has also crossed swords with Wolverine, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men. More than anyone else (excepting Elektra), however, they have interacted with Psylocke. Members of the Hand are practitioners of powerful occult magic and can murder a person and bring that person back to life as a servant of the Hand. Only Elektra, Psylocke, Northstar and Wolverine are known to have reversed this programming. Wolverine was brainwashed in a combined operation by the Hand and Hydra during which Gorgon took the control of both the Hand and the Hydra. Brainwashed Wolverine began to kill superheroes to make them revived and mind-controlled by the Hand, and managed to kill the President. Finally returned to himself Wolverine alongside Elektra fights Gorgon and kills him. After this Elektra becomes the leader of the Hand. Shadowland inspired uniform]] Elektra led the Hand for some time but was killed and found out to be a Skrull, temporarily leaving the Hand without a warlord. One faction, led by Lord Hirochi and his lieutenant, Lady Bullseye, aimed to make Daredevil their new leader, an offer the latter rejected, only to be told that "the Hand doesn't take no for an answer." They then instigated the return of the Kingpin to New York City, with the goal of offering him the leadership instead. However, this was preempted by Daredevil, who accepted their offer, on the condition that the Hand should not do business with the Kingpin or Lady Bullseye again. The three remaining ninja-lords accepted this arrangement through a twisted turning of events, a battle waged between Lady Bullseye, the Kingpin and Daredevil. Proclaimed the winner, the Hand is now under the leadership of Daredevil. With assassins obeying every order, time will tell if this clan will allow the fighter of the great-good lead them into a new era. In observance of their new master, the ninjas adorned Daredevil inspired regalia. With Norman Osborn in control of law enforcement and the justice system, and criminals secretly doing their business with Osborn's blessing, Daredevil seeks to use the Hand to fight back Osborn's system of corruption and power. Kingpin After the Beast was dispossessed from Daredevil, Kingpin took the leadership of the ninja group, with Lady Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, Montana and Hobgoblin as his henchmen. Now Fisk uses the Hand to his criminal purposes. Avengers World The Hand crowned Gorgon as their leader in Madripoor and used a strange ritual to awaken a dormal dragon below the island. | Equipment = Red shinobi shozoku (ninja clothing) | Transportation = | Weapons = Traditional ninjutsu weapons | Notes = *The Beast has taught magic to (at least some of) the Hand. One spell can turn a dead body to dust. | Trivia = *Since both the Hand and the Seven Sons of Satan (plus their father) worshiped a demon (the Beast for one and Satan for the other), perhaps the Beast and Satan are the same demon or the Father of the Sons of Satan could be a former Hand member. *The Foot Clan from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were originally based off the Hand.The fascinating origin story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Links = }} Category:Criminal Organizations Category:Ninjas Category:Necromancy Category:Terrorist Organizations Category:Religions Category:Japanese Organizations Category:Mystical Organizations Category:Frank Miller/Creator Category:1981 Team Debuts